The present invention relates generally to disposal of ammunition, and specifically to a method and apparatus for electrochemical ammunition disposal and material recovery.
Armed forces, police organizations, and other armed entities world-wide possess large quantities of surplus and obsolete ammunition. Existing ammunition disposal processes have serious disadvantages. For example, ocean dumping and disposal in landfills are no longer environmentally acceptable. Disassembly and pre-treatment to remove or render safe the explosive components is costly and requires extensive safety measures. The same concerns apply to destruction of ammunition by detonation methods, which further make component separation and recovery difficult. And long-term storage of surplus and obsolete ammunition is neither safe nor cost-effective.
What is needed is a method for disposing of ammunition while separating and recovering its major components.